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Potter pandemonium overwhelms Staunton

STAUNTON — In true Slytherin house fashion, lines snaked around sidewalks and clogged up crossways as Harry Potter fans flocked to the city causing magical mayhem on Saturday during the city's first Queen City Potter Party.

STAUNTON — In true Slytherin house fashion, lines snaked around sidewalks and clogged up crossways as Harry Potter fans flocked to the city causing magical mayhem on Saturday during the city's first Queen City Potter Party.

Staunton Police Cpl. Jeremy Campbell said they received a complaint about foot traffic congestion in the downtown area around 2 p.m. When he went to investigate the situation, he was shocked by what he found.

"To be honest with you, this is the most people I have seen downtown in my entire career," said Campbell who has been on the police department for more than 10 years. "People were standing in lines and having a good time and I was like, 'holy cow, this is something I have never seen before.'"

"We are trying to find the wand shop, but this map is confusing" she said.

Her daughter Jessica Simmons, 13, and Kristen Howe, 13, were also trying to figure out how to get to the fictitious store's location. Jessica Simmons said they just left a business where a triwizard tournament was held and they were looking forward to the their next stop.

"I did not participate in the tournament," Jessica Simmons said in mock horror. "I've done it before and I will never do it again."

The tournament involves wizard jelly beans called Bertie Bott’s Flavor Beans, Jessica Simmons explained. The special jelly beans feature such flavors as vomit, rotten eggs, earwax and dirt. She and her friend Howe said they were more interested in magical wands than wizard beans.

Sarah Lynch, owner of Baja Bean, helped organize the Queen City Potter Party in downtown Staunton. She said she anticipated a large crowd, but she never imagined selling out of butter beers so quickly.

"We sold between 650 to 800 butter beers in the first three hours," said Lynch. "We had people come down from Canada for the event."

Lynch said she is already making plans for next year's event following the success of this year.

Harry Potter look alikes were

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Harry Potter fans flocked to the city causing magical mayhem on Saturday during the city's first Queen City Potter Party.(Photo: Traci Moyer/The News Leader)

sighted everywhere and it wasn't long before organizers ran out of maps to the secret Harry Potter locations around the city's downtown area.

Katie Griffin was searching for a map with her two sons who were dressed as mini Harry Potters. Griffin, who lives in Staunton, said she often comes downtown, but this is the first time she has ever participated in a downtown event.

"I don't think they anticipated so many people being here," she said. "There are long lines everywhere."

When asked if they were having fun, 8-year-old Hyden Griffin and his brother, 7-year-old Sam Griffin answered in perfect unison.